CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2020

Raphael Wicky

Press Conference

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Q. The news of the day with Calvo getting his contract exercised from next year, what have you seen from him as a player and as a figure in the dressing room and since you made him captain what have your thoughts been of him on and off the field?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, so obviously we are very happy that we going to keep Calvo here. Since the first day in terms of off the field and in the locker room Francisco is doing a great job of stepping into that leadership position and function, and like we saw in January when a lot of the core guys of this team from last year were not here any more, some other players had to step in and Francisco did that from day one and as a captain, he's a good leader. He's a vocal guy. He is good in the locker room. So I'm very happy with that.

On the field, Francisco brings good quality. Francisco knows, as well, clearly, where I want him to improve. We always speak about that. But we all see his potential and all see his qualities and what he brings to the team and we're happy to have him for the next season.

Q. Curious what you see in this Montreal Impact team you're going to be playing tomorrow, what you expect from them and also do you think that them having to play in New Jersey hurts them or are you treating this like a traditional road game?

RAPHAEL WICKY: So for your first question, I see a team which has a style, has an identity. It's a team who is clearly possession orientated, who always wants to build from the back and who has clear movements on how they want to start their build and their action in the game and they have good individual quality who can hurt you. So that's what I see, so we are going to be prepared for that.

For your second question, I can't really judge what they are going to. For us, it's an on the road game. We are travel to go tomorrow morning. We are arriving to New York and then it's a road game for us. It's different than when we play home. So that's how we are going to treat it but I can't really tell what you influence it has for Montreal. That's a question for them.

But we are going to be prepared. Like I always say and I really mean that in this league, anyone can beat anyone. Everything is possible here so you've just got to be prepared to play against -- every week to play against good teams, and that's going be the case, as well tomorrow.

Q. I saw Przemyslaw Frankowski, the injury report, he's out this week but how close is he to returning from injury, and there are reports out of Poland that your prejudice, Veljko Paunovic, is interested in bringing him to Reading in England. Any negotiations ongoing with that?

RAPHAEL WICKY: I didn't hear first part of the question. Was it about Frankie?

Q. His status, he's out for the weekend but curious how close he is to returning, he's getting closer?

RAPHAEL WICKY: He's getting closer. He was partially reintegrated today, but obviously today, very mellow day. We are confident that soon he can be reintegrated in the team. But it's a day-by-day. We hope that is by Sunday, Monday, we can integrate him more and then we have to see how it looks for next week but it looks good so far. He had no set being about as, so let's hope that it stays like that and then Frankie obviously is back in our team pretty quickly and an important figure.

In terms of your second question, I do not want to trade or sell Frankowski, so that's all I can say.

Q. How much of a test of this team's depth is this final stretch of the season to try to get to the final stretch and make the playoffs?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, it is quite a tight calendar. I think for a player, it's actually good. I think the player like that. At least my experience, I liked when we had a lot of games. You don't train that much. It's just playing and recovery, playing, you get into a rhythm. So I think the players like it. It's a little bit different discount because of all the traveling but you have to deal with it.

And yes, the back of the roster is important, and even more because we have to release obviously national team players who won't be here, so that will be an opportunity for other guys to step in, and then players who maybe haven't played that much in the last five, six weeks, will get the opportunity, and that's why we need a big roster. That's why everyone trains every day hard, and they need to be ready when their moment comes, and I'm confident they will be.

Like I said, as well, I hope Frankowski can be back soon with us. Johan Kappelhof slowly is coming back, so those are all players we hope can help us in the next two or three weeks to make points.

Q. You mentioned players leaving on international duty. Is one much those Miguel, and what is the process? Do you have a say in whether they are able to leave or not?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, for now, it's Miguel and Gastón who will be gone, and the latest information I have is that all teams must release their players. FIFA decided that all teams in this case, in our case in the Untied States, must release their players. So they are going to replace the players. They are going to go to the national team. It's for everyone the same. So I'm trying not to lose too much energy on that. I will have to make some -- that's that I will do.

Q. You have a lot of games coming up and three of your next four are on the road. Curious how comfortable is the team --

RAPHAEL WICKY: I didn't hear you, sorry.

Q. A lot of games in a short amount of time, three of your next four or on the road, so curious to see how comfortable has the team gotten with the same-day travel and playing?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Look, first of all, we've never really spoken about it, but it is what it is. We cannot choose to travel the night before. In general we have the feeling that everyone likes. Of course, it's a little bit different if you fly 45 minutes or an hour than if you have to fly two and a half hours. But to be honest, that is all over the league, teams flying and they don't get points. New England came here and beat us in a game we completely dominated but they still got the three points..

We flew down to Orlando, and you all remember that game where we actually had lots of possibilities and were a really good side and had a lot of chances to draw on win the game. In New York, as well, we didn't have a bad game. I just think you have to deal with it. It's easier when you're home and you don't have to travel, but it doesn't mean that you cannot go away and make points, that's for sure.

All we can do is prepare our team, rest and recover well and train well and go there and be confident and get some points. I'm pretty sure that we can do points on the road.